Sage Madeleines
Light, fragrant, and a little unexpected, these savory madeleines pair the nuttiness of brown butter with the gentle pine of fresh sage. They’re elegant beside a summer soup like gazpacho, lovely with cheese and olives, and just as good warm from the tin with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes (includes 30 minutes rest)
Serves: 6–8 (about 24 mini or 12 standard)
Ingredients
90 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, plus extra for the tin
120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
40 g (3 tbsp) sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage (packed)
2 tbsp milk
Optional: 25–30 g (¼ cup) finely grated Parmesan
Optional: ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
To finish: flaky sea salt
Method
Brown the butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams and the milk solids turn golden and nutty. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
Prep the tin: Brush the madeleine moulds with melted butter and dust lightly with flour, tapping out excess. Chill the tin while you make the batter.
Dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
Eggs and sugar: In another bowl, whisk eggs and sugar just until pale and slightly thickened (no need to whip to ribbons).
Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the eggs. Stir in chopped sage, milk, and Parmesan and lemon zest if using.
Add butter: Stir the cooled brown butter into the batter until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes (this helps the hump and keeps the crumb tender).
Bake: Heat oven to 200°C/400°F. Spoon or pipe batter into the chilled moulds, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 8–10 minutes (mini) or 10–12 minutes (standard) until risen and lightly golden at the edges.
Finish: Turn out immediately onto a rack. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while warm. Serve plain or with a squeeze of lemon.
Variations
Parmesan & Black Pepper – Increase Parmesan to 45 g (½ cup) and add ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Finish with extra Parm and a twist of pepper after baking.
Maple-Sage (Lightly Sweet) – Increase sugar to 70 g (⅓ cup) and add 1 tbsp maple syrup; omit Parmesan and keep the sage. Finish with a light brush of warm maple syrup and a tiny pinch of flaky salt.
Lemon-Thyme & Sage – Replace half the sage with fresh thyme and add 1 tsp lemon juice with the milk plus 1 tsp lemon zest. Serve with soft goat cheese or crème fraîche.